New Phone?

So, those who know me know that I'm not the kind of person to keep one phone very long. The longest amount of time I've ever kept a smartphone was 6 months. That seems to be my limit, around that point I start going nuts. I'm already decided on getting the Nexus 4 and hopefully that will hold me over until the next 6 months pass. But today's post isn't about me, it's about you dear reader. How long do you keep your phones? And why do you keep them for that length? The reason I upgrade every 6 months is because I love mobile technology and particularly having the newest and greatest phone. But I was recently in a discussion with a number of people who have very old phones, and not just old for the mobile industry but 2+ years. They've told me they have an upgrade waiting but just haven't felt the need to change. I initially tried to convert them over to the smartphone world, but they knew all that the newest smartphones were capable of. They had seen it all before they were just genuinely content with their phones. Some of them weren't very old in their 20's, and I eventually stopped trying to persuade them after seeing how happy they were with their phones. So tell me reader's do you upgrade every 2 years and sign a new contract? Are you absolutely against contracts and buy full retail? Do you upgrade whenever you want? Or are you like what seems to be the minority, who can upgrade but don't want to? Do you have an old phone with an upgrade waiting, but just haven't seen the need to upgrade? Do you plan on changing soon, or will you hold onto your current phone until it completely dies on you? Or are you waiting to see if you get a new phone for the Christmas? Comment below and let me know, I'm curious.

Tablet Holiday Shopping Guide (Part 2)

Kindle Fire HD

Another great entry into the 7" market and the ones who started the demand for them is the Amazon Kindle Fire. Now they introduced an HD version for the same price point of the original. The new Kindle Fire HD sports a 7" 1280 x 800 display, Dolby audio speakers, dual Wi-Fi antenna for faster speeds, and a dual-core 1.2GHz TI OMAP processor. Now the device runs a heavily modified version of Android 2.3 to the point that it's not recognizable as an Android tablet. This however, isn't necessarily a bad thing. Amazon replaces all of Google's services with their own, the most obvious difference being it doesn't come with the Play Store instead having the Amazon app store. If you have an Amazon Prime account already and have previously used their app store this shouldn't be a problem. In fact their Prime integration is phenomenal allowing access to the entire instant streaming collection as well as the Prime e-book library. Their app store also has most of the big name apps for example, Netflix, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Now what does this all mean? This is first and foremost a content consumption device. Don't expect to do a lot of work on this thing, but do plan to watch videos, read books, listen to music, browse the web, and play games on it. It's well suited to the task and should handle all your media well. The speakers on it are quite impressive. Who is this for? Anyone who's just looking to handle media and lots of it. But anyone with an Amazon Prime account or who actively uses their app store will benefit the most from the device. Amazon has done a good job on integrating their services. The best part is the 16GB version starts at $199 and $249 for 32GB. However, at these prices ads and offers will appear on your lock screen. You can either spend $15 extra for an ad free experience at checkout or later on as an additional purchase through the device. Either way hard to beat the price.

iPad Mini

Apple also released their own competitor for the 7" market in the form of their iPad Mini. It features a 7.9" 1024 x 768 display making it the lowest resolution 7" tablet discussed here. It's powered by an older A5 dual-core processor and has a Face time HD 1.2MP camera, and a 5MP iSight camera on the back capable of 1080p HD recording. It also has the new lightning connector requiring you to buy the $29 adapter to use your old accessories with it. It ships with iOS 6 and will be able to run all your standard iPad apps scaled down to size. Now what does this mean? It means it's intended more for the on the go media consumption, but should handle most tasks you throw at it. However Apple priced it at a premium over its competitors, starting at $329 for the 16Gb, $429 for the 32GB, and $529 for the 64GB versions. An LTE version is also available on Sprint, Verizon, and AT&T for an additional $130, thus bringing the starting price for 16GB with LTE to $459. The significant price difference between its competitors makes this a difficult product to recommend. So who is this for? People who are already invested in iOS 6 and the Apple ecosystem. If they already own an Apple product, use iTunes, or own an iPhone, and are looking for a 7" tablet this will be the product for them. Also those searching for a simpler easy to use interface will benefit from iOS.

Surface with Windows RT

And last but not least are the slew of Microsoft RT tablets coming to market particularly the Microsoft made Surface tablet. Now it runs Windows RT which is a tablet specific version of Windows and won't be able to run standard programs only those coming through the new Microsoft Store. It's priced to compete with the iPad coming in at $499 for the 32GB flavor. Now when you first see it, it's quite impressive and everything about the device screams premium. It features a 10.6" 1366 x 768 HD display, a built in kickstand around back, the body is a VaporMg casing making it durable yet light. It offers up a microSDXC card slot for up to an additional 64GB of storage. It has a full USB port, and dual Wi-Fi antennas. It has front and back facing camera's both of which are capable of filming in 720p HD. It's powered by a dual-core NVIDIA processor along with 2GB of RAM. What does this all mean? It's a premium device with a premium price. It looks and feels great and runs buttery smooth. However, because it runs Windows RT it is restricted to apps and can't run full desktop programs. It does come pre-loaded with a full version of Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013. Which is made all the more useful by the optional touch covers which transform from screen covers into full blown keyboards with track pads. I have to admit that the keyboard works much better than I thought it would. However if you absolutely need a full version of Windows 8 Pro you're better off waiting for the Surface Pro. Who is this for? People who mainly want to use apps and have a great mobile touch friendly interface but need to do some serious work occasionally. Students will also make great use of this device with the included Office software. however the Touch cover which brings this together and makes it productive will run you an additional $119, which may deter some consumers. Overall Microsoft has done a good job creating a mobile touch optimized OS that is also useful for working on. The touch cover is truly phenomenal and adds much value to the device.

Well I hope you all enjoyed my little guide and find it a little easier to get the right tablet for the right person. Have fun shopping!

P.S it would mean a lot to me if you checked out this person's blog here. She's awesome and writes about life and cool stuff. You'll also possibly get a cookie too! 
*disclaimer* cookie may be poisonous and fictitious. 

Tablet Holiday Shopping Guide (Part 1)

As I've mentioned before in a previous post competition is a good thing. It leads to choice among consumers, and choice usually means lower prices all around. The holiday season tends to be one of the busiest times in the mobile industry. Manufacturer's all around are looking to release their products in time to be picked up as a Christmas present. This year is shaping up to be one of the busiest seasons ever. Today I'm looking to try and make the tech shopping process easier. Tablets have become a very popular gift, and while they initially carried a hefty price point in recent months they've dropped down in price. So now you've got all these new shiny well priced tablets to pick from, and it can be overwhelming; especially when you want to be sure to get the best possible tablet for the person you're shopping for.

iPad

First up I'll discuss the world's most popular tablet the iPad. Last month Apple came out with their 4th generation iPad with retina display. It features a gorgeous 9.7" 2048 x 1536 resolution display. It runs the newest iOS 6, and features a dual-core A6X processor with quad-core graphics processing. Now what does this all mean? That it should run buttery smooth and be great for content consumption. Now the downside to this is it's pricing. The 16GB, 32GB, and 64GB cost $499, $599, and $699 respectively. The LTE enabled versions cost $130 more for the same storage. LTE is available on Verizon, Sprint, and AT&T. Now who is this good for? Someone who already owns an iPhone, or iPod touch will benefit a little more from this as they'll be able to use all their same apps across their devices. Also someone who isn't very tech savvy or is looking for a very simple operating system will be able to pick it up relatively quick. Someone who is also looking for top quality mobile games will also be pleased with the iPad.

Transformer Pad Infinity

Next up is the Asus Transformer Pad Infinity. Now this device can easily go toe to toe with the iPad and is generally one of the best Android tablets to date. It features a 10.1" 1920 x 1200 Super IPS+ display. It's hard to describe how beautiful the display looks in person, and although it's a slightly lower resolution than the iPad it's negligible. The design itself says premium with a metallic spun finish on the back. They also made it incredibly bright capable of outside viewing with ease. It's powered by a 1.6GHz quad-core Tegra 3 processor with a 12-core graphics processor, and 1GB of RAM. It runs Android 4.0 (ICS) with a promise to upgrade to Jellybean (4.1) and considering ASUS' track record of timely updates it shouldn't be too far. Now what does this all mean? It means that this thing will blow through whatever you throw at it. It will be great for content consumption with that gorgeous display, and then throw in the optional dock, and you turn it into a notebook and you've got a toy for work and play. Now it starts at $499 for the 32GB version providing you with twice the storage as the iPad for the same price. Now the optional dock will run you $149 but it adds extra battery power, a full keyboard, multi-touch track pad, full USB port, and an SD card slot. Who is it good for? Those who already own an Android device so their apps will carry over. Also anyone looking for a slick device to consume content on but also get some work done. Those who like to carry around their media will also benefit as it provides twice the storage for the same price as an iPad along with expandable storage via the SD card slot. People who love customization will also enjoy this device as Android is unparalleled in terms of customization.

Now so far these have all been some pricey and high-end devices. But the days of needing to drop a few hundred dollars for a good performing tablet are over. So now for some of the best budget friendly tablets.

Nexus 7

Starting us off is the ASUS made Nexus 7. Now this device was made as a response to the sudden demand for a cheaper but still powerful small and portable tablet created by Amazon's Kindle Fire devices. The tablet features a 7" 1280 x 800 display and while it might seem low to some because it's only 7 inches it looks beautiful. Under the hood it's powered by a Tegra 3 quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM. Now where it really sets itself apart is in the pricing, for the 16GB version it starts at $199, $249 for 32GB, and $299 to add HSPA+ (unlocked.) Now this is a pretty hard package to beat especially when you add in NFC, Android 4.1, and a 1.2MP front facing camera. Also keep in mind since it's a nexus device it will be supported by Google in the long term and with timely software updates. So what does this all mean? That the tablet will run smoothly and breeze through most tasks, it'll also be great for consuming content on the go. So who should get this? Anyone really, it's portable high powered and will be well supported. It's especially well suited to anyone who just wants to browse the web, watch HD video, or play some cool games on the go.

Continue to Part 2 here.